Vehicle-brake lever.



J. M. GUSTER.

VEHICLE BRAKE LEVER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1909".

Patented Feb. 1, 191(1' JOSEPH M. CUS'IER, OF COPPER HILL, VIRGINIA.

VEHICLE-BRAKE LEVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 30, 1909. Serial No. 515,278.

To all whom 'it may concern:-

Be it known that I, Josnrn M. GUs'rER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Copper Hill, in the county of Floyd and State of Virginia, have invented anew and useful Vehicle-Brake Lever, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a brake lever adapted to be mounted upon vehicles to set the brakes thereof, novel means being provided for locking the lever in predetermined position.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features ofconstruction which are delineated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in that portion of this instrument wherein patentable novelty is claimed, it being understood that the drawings illustrate but one form of the invention, and that changes,.properly falling within the scope of what is claimed, may be made, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts throughout the severalfi'gures of the draw: ings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figs. 2 and 3transverse sections uponopposite sides of the operating lever.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 17 denotes generally the body of a vehicle, upon which is mounted a frame comprising abase portion 1, the extremities of whlch are connected by an upwardly'convexing arm 2. Pivoted atits lower end to the base 1 of the frame and terminating below the arm 2, is an auxiliary lever 3, Mounted upon the auxiliary lever 3, adjacent the upper end thereof, are spaced plates 4, between which is interposed an operating lever 5 arranged to extend above the arm 2 and pivoted, intermediate its ends, between the plates 4, the operating lever being enlarged in any suitable manner, as denoted by the numeral 6, to inclose the arm 2.

A grip 7 is provided, the same consisting of a rigidbar, provided at its upper end with a head 8, adapted to slide upon the arm 2. The opening through the head 8 is somewhat larger in diameter than the arm 2, so that .the grip may be tilted to cause the-head 8 to engage frictionally, and to bind upon the arm 2. The intermediate portion of the grip 7 is pivotally assembled with the plates U-shaped spring 10 is introduced between the end of the shoulder 9 and the lower end of the grip 7, the spring 10 being compressible by the grip 7, and normally bearin against the lower end thereof. As denote by the numeral 11, the extremities of the spring .10 are oppositely bent to engage the end of the shoulder 9 and to enga e the lower extremity of the grip 7, where y the said spring 10 is held in position within the shoulder 9.

' One end of a rod 12 is pivotally connected with the auxiliary lever 3 between the plates 4 and the shoulder 9, the other end of the rod 12 being pivoted to the upper extremity of anupright brake beam 15, havin at its lower end a brake shoe 16 adapte to engage the wheel vof the vehicle, the brake beam being pivoted between its ends, in any suitable manner upon the body 17 of the vehicle. If desired, a coiled spring 14 may be provided, one end of which is mounted upon the wagon body .17, the other end thereof being preferably connected with the pivotal union between the rod '12 and the brake beam 15.

The operation of the device is as follows -VVhen the upper end of the'operating lever 5 moves in the direction-of the arrow A, the lower end of the operating lever will bear against the auxiliary lever 3, the plates 4 causing the head 8 of the grip 7 to slide along the arm 2. It is obvious that as the head 8 slides along the arm 2, the friction between the head and thearmtends to tilt the upper-end of the grip 7 in the direction of the arrow B and were this tilting to be permitted, the operating lever 5 would. be immediately locked, the setting of thebrake shoe 16 being rendered impossible. In order to over-v come this difficulty, the spring 10 is provided, which, bearing against the lower extremity of the grip 7, serves to overcome the friction between the head 8 and the arm 2 when the operating lever 5 is moved in the direction of the arrow A, thereby permitting the head 8 to move smoothly and evenly and without binding, while the brakes are being set.v Assoon, however, as the movement of the operating lever 5 in the direction of the Patented net. i, ram.

arrow A is discontinued, the s ring 10, bearing against the lower end of t e grip 7 will tilt the head 8 and cause the same to bind frictionally upon the arm 2, and to hold'the operating lever in the position to .which' it has been thrown. The foregoing operation will-setthe brakes, and when it' is desired to release the "brakes, the operating lever 5 is moved at its upper end in the direction of the arrow B. When thus moved, the lower end of the o crating lever will engage the lower end of t e grip 7 compressing the spring 10 and tilting the head 8 so that the same may readily slide in the direction of the arrow B upon the arm 2. This sliding of the head 8 upon the arm 2 to release the brake-is facihtated by the action of the spring 14, which, when the lower end ofthe operating lever 5 is in contact-with 'the lower end of the grip 7, to break the hold between the head 8 and the arm 2, serves to draw the operating lever 5 in the direc- 'tion of the arrow B. When however, the

brakes have been set, the action of the spring 14, drawing upon the auxiliary lever 3, tends to augment the action of the spring 10, tilting the head 8 of the grip 7 to engage the arm 2. Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the class described comprising a frame having an arcuate arm; a'n aux- V ,iliary lever pivoted to the lower portion of the frame and terminating below the arm;

a gri arranged at its upper end to bear fric-- 'tiona 1y upon the arm; a connection between the intermediate portion ofthe grip and the auxiliary lever; an operatin lever located betweenthe grip and the auxlliary lever and upon the arm.

pivoted intermediate its ends to the connection; the lower end of the up being en- 'gageable by the lower end of the operating ver to break the frictional hold" of the grip 2'. A device of the class describedcomprisinga frame having an arcuate arm; an auxilia lever pivoted to the lower portion of the, ame and terminating below the arm;

.a grip arranged at its upper end to bear frictionally upon the arm 7 a connection uniting the intermediate portlon of the grip with the auxiliary lever; an operating lever '10- cated between the grip and the auxiliary lever and pivotally assembled with the connection; resilient means engaging the lower end of the grip to tilt the same to bind upon the arm; the lower end of the grip being ongageable by the lower end 0 the lever to overcomethe action of the resilient means.

3. Adevice of the class described comprising a frame having an arcuate arm; an auxiliary lever pivoted to the lower portion of the frame and terminatin below the arm; a grip having its upper en arranged to bear frictionally upon the arm; a connection uniting the intermediate portion of the grip with the auxiliary lever; an operating lever located between the grip and the auxiliary lever and pivotally assembled with the connection; a shoulder projecting from the auxiliary lever; resilient means carried by the shoulder and engageable by the lower end of the grip to tilt the same into binding con-.

betweenthe grip and the auxlliary lever and pivoted intermediate its ends to the connection; a shoulder projecting from the auxiliary lever and arranged to inclose the lower extremities of the grip and the operating lever; a bent sprin having its ends'inclosed by the shoulder an arranged to bear against the shoulder and the lower extremity of the grip; the lower end of the grip being engageable by the lower end of the lever to overcome the action of the spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. OUSTER.

' Witnesses:

W. L. REED, H. H. Pm. 

